Overview of Hebrews

The author is anonymous. Some have assumed Paul, but there’s no evidence of this. Not only would this be the only letter that isn’t signed by Paul but the language is completely different between this letter and the Pauline letters.

You’ll also remember that Paul was very keen to promote his apostleship and stake it on the fact that he saw the risen Jesus. The author of Hebrews admits that their faith comes from the stories of others who witnessed Jesus (Hebrews 2:3).

We also don’t know who the intended audience are, but the author clearly assumes they have a thorough knowledge of the Old Testaments scriptures, suggesting these were Jewish Christians.

When it comes to dating, we have a little more luck. We know that Timothy is a live and prominent (see Hebrews 13:23) which means it was written some time after 60 CE.

There’s also no mention of the destruction of the temple which would have been a seismic shift for the Jews and their theology. Because of the Jewish focus of the book it’s assumed that the destruction of the temple in 70 CE would have been mentioned if the book had been written after that point. This means the most likely date is some time in the 60s CE.

Hebrews 1-2 - Jesus vs angels and the Torah

Hebrews 3-4 - Jesus vs Moses and the promised land

Hebrews 5-7 Jesus vs the priest and Melchizedek

Hebrews 8-10 - Jesus vs sacrifices and covenant

Hebrews 11-13 - The response to these truths

The main focus of this book is to establish Jesus as greater than everything that has gone before. Everything in the Old Testament either directly points to Jesus, or is a shadow to serve as an example of what Jesus would come and achieve. They are expressions of the ultimate covenant that God is establishing with his people.

There’s also a key theme of now-but-not-yet. The promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus but they are not yet complete. Jesus has been crowned as king, but we’re still to see all things submitted under him. Believer currently experience salvation and they will be saved and receive an inheritance.

In light of both things then, Hebrews serves as a warning and encouragement to not fall away from the faith but to hold tight to it.

The book is absolutely filled with references to the Old Testament. If you have time, it is well worth looking those references up and reading them in their original context. That way you can see how the author of Hebrews has used them to point to Jesus.

Hebrews 1-2

The letter jumps right in with setting the theme. In the past, God spoke to his people through prophets. Now, he has spoken through Jesus, whom he has put in charge of all things, because it was through Jesus that God creates the world.

The author wants the reader to understand how much Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory. Just like we can see the sun because its light reaches our eyes, or we can recognise a seal based on the imprint it leaves in wax, we can see and experience God in Jesus.

It is Jesus that sustains all things, and who has purified the believer of their sins. Now Jesus sits in charge with God over all, being superior to angels.

This opening introduction establishes that key idea. Jesus is greater than everything that has gone before. All believers now find their hope, salvation, and existence in him.

The author then moves to the main section of the letter, which focuses on comparing Jesus to other things to show how much greater he is.

They start with angels, pointing out that at no point has God said to an angel that he is their father. And yet that’s exactly what he said over the future king according to Psalm 2:7, and 2 Samuel 7:15.

In fact, pointing to Psalm 97:7, we see that the angels are called to worship God as king, and the idea is that Jesus now fulfils that role.

When it comes to angels, they are described as messengers and servants. But in contrast, Jesus as the son of God is king. Referencing Psalm 45:6-7, God has established Jesus’ kingdom, and raised Jesus to this position because of how he has loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

It was through Jesus that all things were created, referencing Psalm 102:25-27. There will come a time where creation itself will fade away, but Jesus will remain. This seems to be both a reference to the fact that Jesus is permanent while creation is not, and also to a future time when creation with be transformed while Jesus always remains the same.

Quoting Psalm 110:1, the author is pointing out Jesus is established as a ruler while angels are just servants. In fact, they are serving for the sake of believers, which puts them not just below Jesus but also below his followers.

Then comes the warning. How much more should believers hold on to the message of Jesus than previous generations who held on to the message of angels?

At first, we might wonder what is meant by the ‘message declare through angels’ (Hebrews 2:2). But we’ve mentioned before that it was believed that when God gave Moses the law, it was angels that were the ones to bring it to Moses.

Therefore, the entire Torah can be described as a message from angels. The Torah was right. Anyone who breaks or rejects the Torah deserves punishment. How much greater will the punishment be for those who reject Jesus?

The message of Jesus was first declared by himself, then by those who heard him. Not only that, it has been backed up by signs and miracles, as well as the Holy Spirit amongst the believers.

It is not angels God has given the earth to, but humans. Quoting Psalm 8:4-6, the author highlights how humans were given authority to rule the earth. In the same way, Jesus came as a human and was, for a time, lower than angels, but through his death and resurrection has taken authority over the earth.

It was because Jesus suffered and died that he was able to lead humanity into glory. And in doing so Jesus has now established believers as brothers and sisters. The author quotes Psalm 22:22 and Isaiah 8:17-18 to show this was always the plan.

Jesus took on flesh and then died in order to defeat the devil and death itself. Now believers are no longer bound by death. It wasn’t angels that Jesus came to save, but humans. Now Jesus serves as a high priest atoning for the sins of the people removing its stain from their lives.

In this, the author has shown how Jesus is greater than angels, and how the message of salvation he has brought was better than the Torah the angels brought. The Torah brought judgement. Jesus brings freedom and redemption.

Psalm 23

If Psalm 22 is one of the most famous lament psalms, Psalm 23 is one of the most famous psalms of trust. It is attributed to king David.

Psalm 23:1-4 - The Lord as shepherd

Psalm 23:5-6 - The Lord as host

A short psalm, Psalm 23 is dedicated entirely to declaring God’s faithfulness and loving kindness to his people. He is a God who protects and provides. It uses two different metaphors to do this.

The first is of a shepherd. Just as sheep don’t need to worry about their needs, or try to provide for themselves, God’s people can trust that God has all their needs in hand.

And this isn’t just a nice saying that isn’t grounded in reality. When the Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years, God catered for all of their needs (Deuteronomy 2:7).

God’s provision for his people is a source of rest and reinvigoration. He leads them to rest, provides them water for their first, and even guards their souls, leading them in righteousness.

The psalm then looks at the forces of darkness and death and points out that even those carry no power before God. His people need not fear these things because God will protect and comfort them.

Which leads us to our second metaphor, a generous host. God invites his people into his presence and creates space for them. Even when it feels like they are surrounded by enemies, God is still there providing for them.

But the greatest gift is not God’s provision, but his presence. The psalmist ends, grateful that they are allowed to dwell in God’s presence.